CANCER COUNCIL WESTERN AUSTRALIA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP Commencing 2018 GUIDE TO APPLICANTS Closing Date for full applications: 3 April 2017 Purpose and Background The Cancer Council Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides funding for early career biomedical and health researchers who are considered to have the potential to make a significant contribution to the field of cancer research in Western Australia. The Postdoctoral Fellowship is a full-time or part-time research appointment that offers opportunities in biomedical, clinical and population health research. Full-time fellows must spend at least 80% of their time on research activities related to cancer. Part-time fellows may spend between 50% and 70% of their time on research activities related to cancer. Those in clinical settings may spend the rest of their time on clinical activities. The fellowship amount will be reduced in line with the time spent on research activities and consideration will be given to extending the fellowship period. While providing financial support over 3 years, this appointment will also provide opportunities to meet and liaise with important public figures in the West Australian research community, help raise the public profile of recipients and provide opportunities to present and participate in local Cancer Council Western Australia events, and potentially to contribute to research decisions. The Postdoctoral Fellowships offered by Cancer Council Western Australia are prestigious awards and are likely to be highly sought after and extremely competitive. The Cancer Council Western Australia is calling for applications from qualified early career cancer researchers to take up a Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2018. Timetable Stage Date Advertising and promotion commence 14 Jan 2017 Deadline for submission of Application 3 April 2017 Short listing of candidates for interview 15-19 May 2017 Week in which interviews are likely to be conducted 7-13 June 2017
Postdoctoral Fellowship Guide to Applicants January 2017 Page 2 Objectives 1. The Postdoctoral Fellowship objectives are: a. To advance the quality and impact of cancer research in Western Australia through the provision of dedicated cancer research Postdoctoral Fellowships. b. To contribute to the career advancement and research productivity of high quality cancer researchers working in higher education institutions and/or public health research institutions and/or heath research and health care provision institutions in Western Australia. c. To promote partnerships and collaboration in the conduct of high quality cancer research in WA. General description 1. The Postdoctoral Fellowship program will fund one new cancer research Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2018 up to the amount of $75,000 pa for no more than three years plus GST or up to $90,000 pa in the case of a Clinical appointment. Applications requesting sums in excess of $225,000 in the first instance and $270,000 in the second instance will not be considered. 2. The fellowship is designed to support the salary of a researcher and is not to be used for equipment, infrastructure or project costs, or for funding salaries other than that of the applicant 3. Applications from researchers wishing to take up this award on a part-time basis are encouraged. Note that the award will be proportional to the fraction of time working in cancer research (eg 0.5 FTE spent on cancer research will be granted 50% of a Postdoctoral Fellowship). Eligibility 1. The process is open only to researchers working in, or affiliated with, publicly funded established research institutions within Western Australia. 2. Applicants must hold Australian citizenship, permanent residency or an appropriate visa to work in Australia. Applicants who do not hold Australian Citizenship or permanent residency must have their primary residence in Western Australia and be employed by a WA research institution for the duration of the fellowship, including holding a relevant visa. In the event that a successful applicant no longer complies with these requirements Cancer Council WA reserves the right to cease payment of funding. 3. Applicants must be early career researchers as defined by the following Cancer Council WA criteria: A letter advising the PhD thesis was passed and is dated later than 30 June 2012 A certificate with an admission date later than 30 June 2012 confirming the applicant is a Full College Fellow/s ie FRACP, FRAPAL etc
Postdoctoral Fellowship Guide to Applicants January 2017 Page 3 Candidates without a PhD (or equivalent) are eligible to apply if they have submitted their PhD or are within three months of handing in the final submission of their thesis. You will need to make a strong case based on your track record (publications, previous awards, grants) and provide a statement from your supervisor supporting your claim of eligibility. An award would be conditional on the PhD being awarded in the year the fellowship is offered. Researchers who have relevant research experience but do not have a PhD and/or are not a full college fellow will have their eligibility assessed on a case-by-case basis. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility please contact us on 9388 4354 or research@cancerwa.asn.au. Career disruptions Extensions to the 5-year limit apply for career disruptions. Career disruption includes pregnancy; major illness; and carer responsibilities including parental leave. Employment outside the research sector including time spent working in industry; clinical, administrative or teaching workload; relocation of laboratory or clinical practice setting or other similar circumstances that impact upon research productivity are not considered to be career disruption. If in doubt, please contact us to discuss your specific circumstances. 4. Applications may involve a single institution, or two or more acting in collaboration. One institution must be specified as the lead institution, which will receive the grant and administer the Postdoctoral Fellowship. 5. Institutions can use their own internal funds (for example from a university, company, endowments, government agency) to top up the contribution to the Postdoctoral Fellowship from external sponsors. There is no minimum contribution from external (institutional or other granting body) sources. The application should include a summary of all funding from the host institution and external sources including salary support, cash, buildings, laboratory space, technical support etc. The Cancer Council WA award may be decreased pro-rata if the applicant has been awarded salary support from another source. 6. Previous recipients of a Cancer Council WA Postdoctoral Research Fellowship are ineligible to apply. Application Building a Case for Support 1. The application should describe the achievements of the applicant and the program of research to be undertaken under the Postdoctoral Fellowship. Failure to address all of the following issues in a fully detailed submission may result in the application being rejected on the grounds of insufficient information. The individual a. Publications including quality in terms of significance of contribution to the relevant field of research, standing of journals in which papers are published and relative contribution of the applicant to the publication (eg first author publications will be given greater weight). b. Grants nature of involvement in any successful grants.
Postdoctoral Fellowship Guide to Applicants January 2017 Page 4 c. Peer recognition eg acceptances to speak at national or international meetings. d. Prizes and awards: applicants may list any previous research prizes or awards (other than program / project grants) they have been awarded to support their research career. e. Research translation the contribution of the applicant to advancing cancer control (for example through clinical impact and application of their research, public health activities and influence in public policy practice or related advocacy or commercialisation of research findings). f. Research training level of contribution to supervision of students. g. Professional and community activity contribution to professional associations, community bodies such as Cancer Council and other relevant activities The institution h. Outline the additional resources available to undertake the program of research, the contribution from the external sponsor(s) or other sources of funding - including details of any funding offered, any in-kind support, and any other (collaborative) activities to be carried out in support of the project. i. Include resources supplied by the host institution and other sources, be it research grants funds or other resources. A summary of all input from the host institution including any buildings, laboratory space, technical support etc offered in support of the fellowship in addition to any cash offers. The program of research j. Outline the major areas of research to be pursued under the Postdoctoral Fellowship. What grants will be sought, what publications are anticipated and what other outputs are likely to be produced. k. Complete the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) table, outlining 6-10 KPIs you aim to achieve over the duration of the fellowship. More guidance can be found in Appendix 1. l. Provide a curriculum vitae of the supervisor of no more than one page. Community Review m. The Community Review section of the application is very important and will form part of the assessment of your application so please read the Guidance on community review criteria document which is available on the website. Assessment Criteria 1. Applications will be assessed against the following criteria: a. The qualifications and track record of the applicant including: i. Completion of a PhD or equivalent (Refer to Eligibility section, criteria 3). ii. research output based on the candidate s track record in publications, presentations, contribution to research training, and translation of research. iii. the level of previous and/or existing Cancer Council / NHMRC / ARC / Other support).
Postdoctoral Fellowship Guide to Applicants January 2017 Page 5 b. The contribution the investment will make to cancer research in WA. This will include considering: iv. how the Postdoctoral Fellow will contribute to the existing research strength of the host department(s) or institution(s); v. how well the department and/or research group can support the Postdoctoral Fellow in terms of supervision and guidance, technical expertise and physical and financial infrastructure; vi. how the Postdoctoral Fellow could contribute to research training and capacity development. vii. The impact on cancer research/cancer control of the work to be conducted under the Postdoctoral Fellowship. viii. The scientific quality of the work to be conducted under the Postdoctoral Fellowship; - applicants should provide a detailed description of the scientific projects the Fellow will engage in. ix. Other support. c. The strategic relevance of the proposed cancer research and the benefit to, or involvement of, a wider user community. x. Candidates whose previous area of research was not cancer control but who would be undertaking cancer related research during their Postdoctoral Fellowship are encouraged to apply. d. Cost effectiveness, including the amount of external sponsorship and the credibility of the financial proposals. It is anticipated that there will be some institutional contribution to each application. In-kind support such as provision of space, technical support etc. will also be considered. e. Community Review Criteria (refer to the Guidance on community review criteria) Other conditions 1. Cancer Council Western Australia will decide the amount of each grant. 2. Cancer Council Western Australia will expect all expenditure to be completed within three years of the commencement date. An extended time period of expenditure will be considered for part-time applications. 3. Applicants or their organisations in receipt of funding (past or present) from the Tobacco industry or its subsidiaries are not eligible to apply. 4. Cancer Council Western Australia reserves the right to make no award, or to award part of the total funding pool if no or unsuitable applications are received. How to make an application 1. A full application is invited from all interested candidates. 2. Use the application form available for this initiative. There are 3 separate forms that need to be completed, these are: the Scientific Criteria, the Plain Language Summary and Community Review Criteria
Postdoctoral Fellowship Guide to Applicants January 2017 Page 6 3. Applications must be completed in 12 point Arial font with 1.5 line spacing. Assessment 1. Cancer Council Western Australia will assess the applications using its Postdoctoral Research Grants Advisory Subcommittee, external peer review and the Cancer Council Western Australia s Board. Applications will be assessed against the Postdoctoral Fellowship criteria outlined above. 2. Applications falling outside of the Cancer Council Western Australia s remit will be rejected. Negotiations will not be entered into. Multidisciplinary applications spanning research other than that specifically related to cancer may be considered if the majority of the research relates to cancer control. 3. The Postdoctoral Research Grants Advisory Subcommittee may invite applicants to attend an interview process to further examine the proposals under consideration. During the assessment process, we may seek input from third parties if deemed necessary. Monitoring and evaluation 1. Postdoctoral Fellowship recipients must provide proof of progress in their research program, and provide appropriate publicity opportunities for Cancer Council WA, including acknowledgements in all publications, presentations and public reportage of work undertaken as a part of the Postdoctoral Fellowship. 2. Successful applicants are expected to submit written reports in each of the three years of the operation of the Postdoctoral Fellowship. Reports should be prepared against the claims made in the detailed application, with continued funding for the subsequent years of the fellowship being contingent upon a satisfactory report being received by the end of November (or a timeframe negotiated subject to start date) of each year. Ongoing operation of the Postdoctoral Fellowship 1. If for any reason a successful Postdoctoral recipient is unable to complete the full three years of the Postdoctoral Fellowship they and their institution have the responsibility to inform Cancer Council WA. The specific circumstances will be assessed and a recommendation made as to how the Postdoctoral Fellowship will be managed from that point. 2. Failure to inform the Cancer Council WA of significant changes in circumstances relating to the operation of the Postdoctoral Fellowship will result in withdrawal of the Postdoctoral Fellowship and consideration given to the future relationship between Cancer Council WA and the Host institution.
Postdoctoral Fellowship Guide to Applicants January 2017 Page 7 Matters not otherwise specifically addressed For matters relating to process and policy not covered in detail in this guide to applicants the Cancer Council WA Postdoctoral Subcommittee will use the policies and processes applied by the National Health and Medical Research Council as a reference point. The prime objective remains to operate a fair and open process which seeks to allocate the funds in a way consistent with the values of Cancer Council WA so as to allocate donors funds in the most effective manner in pursuing the mission, goals and strategies of Cancer Council WA. Further information Queries about the completion of the Postdoctoral Fellowship process should be addressed to: Research Project Officer Cancer Council Western Australia 420 Bagot Road SUBIACO WA 6008 Phone: (08) 9388 4354 email: research@cancerwa.asn.au
Postdoctoral Fellowship Guide to Applicants January 2017 Page 8 Appendix 1: Research Outcome Categories for Development of Fellowship Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Notes: This is intended as a menu of possible outcomes to use a starting point to develop appropriate KPIs for an individual fellowship. We generally expect 6-10 KPIs for each fellowship. There is no requirement to have KPIs for all 6 categories and commonly fellowship KPIs are most likely to come from categories 1-3; however, we encourage you to consider if there are any appropriate KPIS from categories 4-6. KPIs should be specific, measurable and include a timeframe, e.g. to publish 6 papers a year in high quality journals; to obtain $200,000 of project funding by the end of 2020 to conduct research into x; to set up a consumer panel by June 2019 to provide input into the development of our research design, participation information sheets and consent forms; to have our recommendations adopted as a policy platform by at least one of the major political parties by the end of the fellowship; my recommendations for changes to the process for treating x will have been adopted by at least one of the major Perth cancer hospitals by the end of 2021. KPIs should be stretching but achievable. This will be assessed as part of the selection process. 1. Knowledge production No of journal articles & citation rates No & type of conference presentations Other publications e.g. books & chapters, research reports, editorials Patents granted Awards received (& other recognition) Other research outputs e.g. research databases, research models, non-traditional outputs 2. Research capacity 3. Dissemination & engagement Personnel New skills developed / techniques mastered Training attended Career progression during / after fellowship New collaborations formed &/or existing collaborations maintained / expanded Involvement with research networks Supervision of research staff / students Resources No of new grant applications developed (& scores where possible) Amount & type of further funding gained Access to new / enhanced research tools, platforms, equipment, facilities Future Research Development of new research studies / ideas Improvements to research methods &/or development of new research methods Improved capacity to use existing research knowledge from elsewhere Academic Service New responsibilities taken on e.g. committee or board memberships, editorial and review activities, teaching (NB must be additional to what was in place at the start of the fellowship) Presentations to non-academic audiences Media stories Articles in newsletters etc Lab tours School visits Consumer involvement (no involved, how involved, impact on research) Industry / government partnerships 4. Informing decision making & development Decision Making / Policy Improved info bases for decision making Changes to policies (new/revised) Changes to processes (new/revised) Changes to guidelines New / improved public health campaigns Product Development Development of new pharmaceuticals or therapeutic techniques Clinical trials undertaken Spin-out companies 5. Behaviour changes / adoption Adoption of new policies / practices by health practitioners Use of new pharmaceuticals & therapeutic techniques Behaviour changes by patients and the public Disinvestment in ineffective or redundant treatments or services Improvements to services 6. Final outcomes (health & economic) Health Benefits Less people get sick (reduced morbidity) Better outcomes for those who get sick Improved equity Improved quality of care Economic Benefits Increased efficiency Cost savings Income from commercialisation